Real Money Online Poker In India

Now we'll take a look at some specific aspects of the game which any players in India will want to be thinking about.
neral. Remember though that if using any software developed outside of India, they'll most likely fall foul of the rule around that.

Where To Play

Outside of India, online poker has seen its popularity boom and wane. It is well known as the complete game, needing a strong understanding of strategy and the skills or experience of your opponents in order to be successful, as well as a number of other personality traits.

The situation in the US after legal rulings there some years ago caused significant disruption to the industry, with a number of online poker rooms going out of business.

But there are still plenty of places to play that have built up strong reputations with players from western countries. They're safe and trusted, and offer great poker gaming with a range of bonuses, tournaments, and different poker game types.

Online Poker Rooms Outside India

But while western players can sign up and play for real money at these online poker rooms without any restrictions, it's not so clear cut for players in India. We'll look deeper at the legality of playing poker in India in a few minutes, but essentially - until legal rulings change - you're not supposed to play online for real money with a poker room that is run from outside the country.

That hasn't stopped many India-based fans from registering accounts though, and poker rooms such as Bet365, 888Poker, Pokerstars, and Party Poker are all long-running sites that will accept players. With a population of over a billion people, it can only be a good thing for players to have plenty of choice in which poker room to play at.

Online Poker Rooms Inside India

To stay fully within the legal framework in India, you'll need to play at an in-country operated site. The first two to be issued with licences by the Nagaland authorities are Khelo365.com and ClubEmpire.in, both of which are now offering real money games.

If you're in any Indian state where skill-gaming is on the permitted list - or anywhere internationally where it's legal to play real money games - you'll be able to get a cash game at either of these sites.

Aside from those, here are a few others which are still growing at an exponential rate:

• Adda52.com

India's largest online poker room, Adda52 has a reported 800,000 registered players. They've recently signed a deal with the WPT World Poker Tour to form a formidable partnership.

The WPT deal gives Adda52.com the rights to distribute seasons of the WPT TV show, create and market its own WPT products, and use the brand name to build up other partnerships and sponsorships.

For players its great news. You'll start seeing qualifying online tournaments with the winners potentially going through to the big prize land-based tournaments on the WPT tour.

• Pokernation.com

The latest poker site to go live for India-based players, Pokernation is working to cement its leading position by focusing entirely on poker games. The new site will be running championships and tournaments, with the Vice President Sree Ram Somayajula stating in a press release:

“Playing online and ‘live’ against faceless but skilled opponents is an adrenaline pumping activity that never fades, as you get the opportunity to play against different people every single moment.

Apart from its single minded focus on the sport of poker, what sets pokernation.com apart from other players in the market will be it’s emphasis on teaching the finer nuances of the game to beginners and amateurs alike and providing them with a platform to experience the game in all its varied colours”.

Pokernation promises an up to date design and cleverly designed user interface with software that delivers "hand analysis, game possibilities, winning probabilities, expert tutoring panels, tips & tricks of strategy and easy to navigate buttons"

• Starpoker.in

• Pokerbaazi.com

• Pokabunga.com

• ThrillPoker.com

• NobleAces.com

• Rollersden.com

• PokerMasti.com

• PokerIndia.com

Is Real Money Poker Legal In India?

As of April 2016 there are plenty of poker fans in India playing the game at online sites. Many of these with the big names in global poker we've mentioned above, and many with in-country operators we've also covered.

The reality is that where any operator is funded from outside of India, it's illegal to play online with that operator. The term used is FDI, or Foreign Direct Investment. It's cemented with a further ruling that there must be no technical inter-working between external and internal providers. All of this means that anyone playing at Bet365, 888Poker, or the other big poker rooms is in effect playing outside of the law.

For those operators who are run from within India, they're safe and providing a legal service as long as they are abiding by local tax laws and operating cleanly in general. Remember though that if using any software developed outside of India, they'll most likely fall foul of the rule around that.

In March 2016 the Nagaland legislative assembly passed a bill targeted at skill games (a bracket in which poker is classified) known as the Online Games of Skill Bill.

The bill's supporters carried out investigations into the legality and likely tax income before making their proposal for introduction, as well as any potentially negative social implications. Now it's all set to radically change the way that poker and other skill-based games such as Rummy and fantasy sports betting are handled within Indian borders.

Essentially it introduces a regulated approach to licensing of online operators offering different types of games - pinpointing them as skill-based rather than gambling-based irrespective of how money is actually won.

If the Nagaland Bill overcomes any further obstacles to implementation, it may set a precedent which other states will follow rapidly.

As a last point, it's worth noting that there are no known cases of anyone ever being penalised for gambling online, even with operators who are officially banned from being used by current laws. That said, it's advisable to always stay within the confines of local laws.

For in depth info on all online poker and general gambling related legislation in India visit Glaws.in, or visit this link for a state by state break down of gambling regulations.

Depositing Money

There's no doubt that the best way to deposit money into your poker account is by using an Ewallet. Moneybookers, Entropay, and Neteller are all good examples. Each one is fairly easy to set up initially and only takes a short time. Once you have an account in place you can load up or transfer money from or to your bank account into or out of your Ewallet.

Using an Ewallet has benefits from a number of perspectives, the main ones being:

• It's reliable - you'll rarely hear of any failures or problems
• It's private - the transaction shows as taking place with the Ewallet rather than the poker room
• The biggest Ewallet providers are regularly used the world over for gambling related transactions

The only real drawbacks are in the potentially lengthy initial set up of an account, and it's worth taking note if there are any fees associated with transfers.

There are of course other deposit methods including bank transfer, credit cards, and other wallet services. But the reality is that there's no real reason not to use an Ewallet.

The big question though for many Indian players is how to deposit in Rupees, so let's see if we can clear up any confusion around the subject with a short guide:

Which Poker Sites Accept Rupee Deposits?

If you want to make Rupee deposits with a poker room run outside of India, there's little doubt that Bet 365 is your best choice. Bet365 is one of the most reputable sites available, not only for poker but for all other forms of sportsbetting such as cricket, horse-racing, football, and many more.

I wouldn't say they always have the best odds. In horse racing, for example, it's Betvictor that seem to be the best, but the overall experience at Bet365 is top class.

They'll cater for a number of deposit methods including Skrill, Neteller, Entropay, Bank Transfer, and standard bank or credit cards.

All of the poker rooms run from inside India listed above will accept Rupee deposits.

Alternatives To Rupee Deposits

If you're playing at a site that doesn't accept Rupees, you'll most likely be working in UK pounds or US dollars.

Exchange rates come into play here, so you'll want to be keeping an eye on the currency exchanges and fluctuations.

Again, it's the Ewallets that work best as they normally offer better exchange rates than banks.

Making Withdrawals

Unfortunately making withdrawals can be more complicated than depositing - certainly by trying to use Ewallets.

But there should be no issues with making withdrawals by bank wire to your own bank, or even accepting a check.

Tax On Winnings

The regulations on tax on winnings are very clear - any money won playing poker (above 10,000 INR) is subject to 30.9% tax.

What Makes a Good Poker Room?

There are a number of factors you'll want to be covered by any poker room that position it as worthy of registering an account . Let's take a look at the most important, bearing in mind they're all as important to a poker player from India as they are for one anywhere else in the world..........

Trust & Legality

In India particularly, of course, the first consideration is whether they're fully covered legally. Wherever anyone is operating outside the law, there's a risk that your money could be lost. That wouldn't happen because of any action by the poker rooms themselves (the biggest global rooms are fully trusted and would not take any steps that could harm their reputation), but might possibly be a risk if the Indian authorities took some action.

Technology & Gaming Platforms

Clearly you'll want the best gaming experience possible. That means a reliable, fast-working software platform, smooth game-play, excellent graphics, and options to download or play in browser.

It can also be important for software to work on mobile phones, though I'd advise against playing on a mobile unless you can guarantee a stable internet connection.

Wide Range Of Deposit Options

Another important factor for poker players from within India. Depositing and withdrawing money to and from accounts could be one of the biggest problem areas, outside of building up your strategy skills of course.

Free Games

Playing poker for free is a useful way to learn the game and improve skills. Most of the Indian operated poker rooms offer free games, as do the main global rooms.

Notice I said 'useful way to learn and practice' instead of 'great'.

That's because learning in free games can be misleading. The problem is twofold:

• You may not play the same way in free games as you would when money is involved, or the prospect of losing it.
• And even if you do, your opponents equally may play hands differently. When there's no real cash at risk, some players tend to make rash or reckless decisions

Game Types

There are of course many different types of poker games. In India - as it is all over the world - it's Texas Holdem that rules the roost. It's wise for any poker player to consider other variations of the game, it may turn out that your playing style is better suited to Omaha or 7 card stud.

Most of our list of poker rooms offering games to India players will give you a good choice of game types.

Some variations take popular game types like Holdem and add an extra twist - a good example of this is Zoom Poker which gives fast paced action with very little waiting between hands.

Tournaments

For the avid poker player, there is surely no greater thrill than battling through to the latter stages of a high prize poker tournament (and if you're a new player, any tournament!). Winning one is likely to be one of your most memorable highlights of your time in the game.

As interest in poker grows in India, we're likely to see more and more players making their way to the latter stages of the bigger tournaments.

The main land based tournament operator - The World Poker Tour - is taking a deep interest in developments in the India poker industry.

As we've seen, they've already formed a partnership with Adda52, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see India locations on the tour in future. At present land-based gambling is only legal in three states - Goa, Daman, and Sikkim. That situation would have to change before live tournaments become a reality of course, but the rulings which make poker a skill game will help.

As for online poker tournaments, these are the lifeblood of any operator and each of the rooms serving India players will run a number of different tournament types.

Bonuses

Of all the elements of online poker games, the poker bonus is one of the most liked among regular players.

Effectively free money to boost your bankroll, it's an incentive provided to attract new players, and it's vitally important is to understand how offers work.

Virtually every online poker site offers poker bonuses to players, either as bonus added cash to your first deposit (known as the first deposit bonus) when you sign up with a new poker room, or as extra bonuses which are given to you at intervals (known as reload bonuses).

This page at Pokerlistings gives a good introduction to how poker bonuses work, plus a list of some of the most valuable current offers.

Promotions

Bonuses fall into the category of promotions, but the term 'promotions' covers a much wider range of benefits for players. Quite simply, promotions are 'activities' organised by the poker rooms that are designed to attract new players or make sure that current registered players are happy and keep coming back for more action.

Competition between poker operators is fierce - you may already have noted that there are dozens of different poker rooms to pick from from. Each operator has to work hard to promote their own games and software.

Some can differentiate themselves with focus on how many players they have on tables at any one time, many offer side games like blackjack and slots, and of course having a wide range of game types and tournaments is important.

But still behind all of this there is always a need for something extra. That's where poker promotions come into their own.

So these promotions can range from special tournaments, prize giveaways, and draws, through to poker points races, enhanced VIP schemes, and many others.

When you choose a poker room it's worth paying attention to the different types of promotions they run - it all adds up to extra benefits for the poker player.

Live Games

Poker in India is still in its infancy, but once the individual states start to make it regulated there is every chance that interest will explode.

Once that happens, you'll find a much wider range of live tournaments being held in the country, and live poker games will become easier to find and participate in.

At the moment the three states of Goa, Sikkim and Daman are the only places you may find live games. This list of live poker venues will tell you where you can currently find a game.

One series currently running is the India Poker Championship, with the latest tournament being held in Goa.

Play Real Money Poker In India